French Chocolate Coffee Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 4 -4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter, cut up
• 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate piece
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup cold butter
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or 1/4 cup pecans

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl, stir together 1-1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside.
• 2 in a medium saucepan, heat and stir the 3/4 cup sugar, the water, the 1/2 cup butter, 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk, and the salt just until warm (120f to 130f) and butter almost melts.
• 3 add milk mixture to flour mixture; add egg yolks. beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. beat on high speed for 3 minutes. using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
• 4 turn out onto a lightly floured surface. knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total).
• 5 shape dough into a ball. place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 2 hours).
• 6 punch dough down. turn out onto a lightly floured surface. cover; let rest for 10 minutes.
• 7 meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the remaining evaporated milk, 3/4 cup of the chocolate pieces, the 2 tablespoons sugar, and the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. remove from heat; cool.
• 8 grease a 10-inch tube pan; set aside. roll dough into an 18x10-inch rectangle. spread chocolate mixture to within 1 inch of the edges. starting from a long edge, roll dough into a spiral. pinch seam to seal. place seam side down in prepared pan. pinch ends together.
• 9 in a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the 1 teaspoon cinnamon. using a pastry blender, cut in the 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. stir in remaining 1/4 cup chocolate pieces and the nuts. sprinkle over dough in pan. cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (about 1 hour).
• 10 preheat oven to 350°f bake about 50 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. remove from pan; cool for 45 minutes. serve warm. makes 12 to 16 servings.
• 11 to bake ahead: prepare and bake as directed; cool completely. place cooled coffee cake in a resealable freezer bag; seal. freeze for up to 3 months. to serve, thaw wrapped coffee cake at room temperature.
• 12 french chocolate coffee cake.